The Incredible Octopus is a fun, fact filled book about octopuses. The pictures are beautiful and the facts were put into short blurbs that will keep the attention of the kids. I also appreciated all the websites and activities that were put out at the end of the book for further learning opportunities. I can't wait to get this book for my school!

The Incredible Octopus is a nonfiction look at octopuses aimed at ~7-10 year old readers by Erin Spencer. Released 16th April 2024 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 72 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a vibrantly illustrated book *full* of fascinating information about octopuses and their environments. There are short chapters also showing scientists who study them, from their neurology and development through their habitats and behaviors. It's illustrated in color throughout, and information is written in accessible language which is easy to understand.

Five stars. Aimed at 7-10 year olds (grades 2-5), it would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving. There are fascinating takeaways for all ages to be found here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was such a fascinating book! I love these creatures so it was really fun to learn all about them. I didn't know that there were cold water octopuses so that was my favorite section to read. I learned a lot reading this book and I loved all the pictures!

Chock full of interesting facts, reminds me why octopuses are one of my favourite animals!

Loved this. So much detail and lots I didn’t already know.

Broken down nicely into information about an octopus’s physiology, behaviours and habits and live, examples of the species and interactions with humans, it answers almost any question you might want to ask.

The colours are great - ocean colours showing the beauty of the octopuses (not octopi), all their features broken down and explained, lovely to look at.

I tried reading this with my 7 year old but it’s more a book for readers to enjoy themselves. It’s not really a book to listen to. I however thoroughly enjoyed it! And learned a great deal.

I now think the octopus is even more incredible than I did before. There’s a good amount of readers for readers on the science behind their adaptations - suckers and colour-changing, with definitions provided. There’s also a lot about people who work with them and how we can help keep them healthy. A ‘going deeper’ section gives more resources for further study.

One for older readers than a typical first guide to animals books, maybe ages 7-12.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Octopuses like jellyfish are the coolest sea creatures next to the whales so I'll always stop and read a book about the incredible octopus and this one for a younger audience adds amazing photography of octopuses, cool details and text features, some diagrams of their organs to be able to better understand them and their habitats.

Featuring specific cephalopods in addition, it captures the wonder of the deep sea creatures and even shares some of the folklore. There's also a few scientist interviews in the back which I appreciate to inspire the next generation of animal scientists too.

It was lovely to go into their world for a bit with this book. They are eight-armed wonders of the sea!

First, I want to share my eight-year-old’s review for this fun book!!

“I loved it! Can we get it? I liked the pictures and how I got to learn more about octopuses. It’s crazy how big the Giant Pacific Octopus can grow and weigh more than a gorilla!”

He really enjoyed this book and immediately after we finished said he wants to get a physical copy—that’s my boy!! 😄

The Incredible Octopus was jam-packed!! I learned SO much about octopuses and my son, who already knew much of what was shared, learned a few new things as well. The illustrations and photographs were bright and detailed. I loved how the book was divided into sections ranging from anatomy of octopuses to how they live and play to different species to how octopuses influence myths and technology to how we can help conservation efforts. I also really appreciated the section of interviews with researchers and experts and found what they had to say fascinating. 

Erin Spencer is a marine ecologist and a National Geographic Explorer. Her knowledge of octopuses was clearly evident and her ability to write for kids was fantastic. There was quite a lot of text on some pages, but my son paid attention the whole time. And while my six-year-old became distracted a few times, the pictures throughout always drew her back in and she kept saying some of the octopuses looked like Hank from “Finding Dory” which was so cute.

If you know a young reader who is interested in ocean life and wants to learn more about the incredible octopus, I highly recommend this book!!

(I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

In a Nutshell: An informative encyclopaedia about everything connected to the magnificent octopus. Amazing facts, stunning photographs. Great for little and not-so-little animal lovers.

Octopuses are fascinating – no two ways about it. So it isn’t surprising that an entire 80-page book can be written on just octopuses.
There are various species of octopuses – almost 300 – and also related cephalopods such as squid, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. The book highlights interesting facts about all of these, with the maximum focus obviously being on the titular animal.

The information is classified into neat sections, covering topics such as anatomy, survival mechanisms, special octopus species, and even general facts such as octopuses in human lore. There are also some fun tidbits about octopuses and the games they love to play. (I was a bit sad to see that Paul the Octopus wasn’t mentioned; surely he has earned a place in the ‘Famous Octopuses’ list with his accurate guesstimates during the international football matches!) There is a glossary at the end and also a detailed list of resources kids can use to learn more about octopuses.

I especially loved the three interviews at the end of the book. These are conversations with professionals who work with or interact with octopuses as a part of their job. Not a feature I have seen so far in animal books – such an enlightening addition! Also appreciate that two of these three professionals were women scientists – Yay for FemSTEM!

The page layout is like that of an encyclopaedia, with 3-5 paras of text on many pages, but with a major chunk of the page space being dedicated to photographs and their accompanying captions, which contain interesting facts about the animal in the pic. While the language is fairly easy to kids who are keen on animals, the formatting and page structure makes it suitable to readers aged 8+.

The trivia in the book is mindboggling! In fact, the book begins with an intriguing ‘Did you Know?’ section that will directly spur the reader to learn more about astounding octopuses. I am anyway fond of animal trivia, so some of the information was already known to me. But I didn’t expect to learn so many new facts from this book. (I am not sharing any of these with you as I want you to read the book!)

I love that actual photos have been used to illustrate the book. Animal books are always so much better with real photos as artificial graphics don’t convey the beauty of the animals effectively. This makes the physical copy of the book a must-have.

All in all, a wonderful option for little animal lovers. This would make for an informative and entertaining resource in classroom libraries as well. Let’s not forget that it would also be a great way for adult animal lovers to know more about the incredible octopus.

4.5 stars, rounding up for the marvellous info and photos.

My thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Incredible Octopus”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

"The Incredible Octopus" is an educational deep dive into the fascinating world of octopuses. This book is captivating and full of incredible art and information for young readers. The art and photography are a highlight of the book, with the art often helping show diagrams of what is being outlined.

This book serves as an amazing educational resource, covering topics ranging from octopus anatomy to some of the basics of invertebrate zoology. The book also delves into various aspects of octopus biology, behavior and different species from around the world. I absolutely loved the creative approach the author took to explaining complex concepts, such as chromatophores, in a way that young readers can understand and appreciate.

“The Incredible Octopus” ends with an emphasis on conservation, not only raising awareness about the challenges facing octopuses and the ocean but also empowering readers to take action. By ending with a message of conservation and practical steps readers can take to help, the book instills a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the natural world. I am so grateful the author concluded the book this way! The author also provides additional resources and suggestions for readers to keep learning and exploring the world of octopuses and marine life.

The Incredible Octopus: Meet the Eight-Armed Wonder of the Sea by Erin Spencer is a children's nonfiction book that is currently scheduled for release on April 16 2024. Readers are introduced to the fascinating biology of the octopus, from its 3 hearts and 9 brains to suction cups and how they work, and learn all about what it’s like to be an octopus: how they use camouflage and ink, what they eat, and how they reproduce (nests and eggs!). The book also explores the intelligence and playfulness of this animal—and, of course, the famous stories of octopuses who escaped their tanks. Readers will meet 13 different species of octopuses and find out what makes them unique, from the most venomous and best disguised to the deepest and coldest. They'll also get a glimpse into exciting octopus research, technology inspired by octopuses, and ways to help conserve our oceans.

The Incredible Octopus is an interesting book that will hold the interest of young readers that have interest in animals, the ocean, and science. I thought the text and facts were well written and chosen. I also like that they addressed the octopi versus octopuses debate. I liked that there was a glossary, information and links for further research, and books that readers might want to explore for further reading.

The Incredible Octopus is an informational, interesting, and engaging text for your readers interested in the octopus.

I have always found the octopus to be an amazing animal. This book provides great information on the octopus and has beautiful illustrations, photographs, and other text features. Great for kids who want to learn more about octopuses or adults looking to learn more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I always loved octopuses, but now I have a much deeper admiration for those ocean dwellers.

Great book with lots of fun facts and interesting information.

4.7 ⭐️
Great for kids AND adults! Highly recommend in schools and education settings.

🧐 After reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, an adult fiction novel by Shelby Van Pelt, years of hearing how smart they are, and having the joy of holding a small one in Costa Rica, I was excited to learn more about these fascinating creatures.

🐙 And boy was I ever impressed! I learned a ton from the basics of eating, protection and habitat in the beginning of the book, to the amazing playful, smart and colorful sides in the middle, and even the myths, expeditions and scientific studies at the end. Way more than I was expecting, all with fascinating facts and amazing colorful images.

📕 This is what I call “worth its weight” meaning worth owning a print copy versus digital.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storey Publishing 💖, and Erin Spencer for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

Packed full of great information about octupus. The layout of the pages are great and delivers the information in a nice way that is easy to digest. I would definitly recommend this, if your child have already shown interest for ocean life or octupus in particular.

Did you know that an octopus’s stomach is inside its head, along with its three hearts? Did you also know that its ‘head’ is actually its mantle and holds all of its organs? Or that it has nine brains? No wonder these eight armed (yes arms, not tentacles!) invertebrates are so smart.

This book is jam packed with facts and stunning photography of these magnificent creatures and details thirteen different species from the most venomous (Blue-Ringed Octopus), to the best disguised (Mimic Octopus), to the smallest (Star-Sucker Pygmy Octopus) and the variations that set them apart.
Topics covered include:
The Cool and Creative Octopus
All About Octopuses
The Octopus Life
Meet the Octopuses
People and Octopuses

There are some fantastic ideas for extending learning at the end of the book in a section called Going Deeper such as a link for a game to test knowledge and access to the world’s largest octopus fan club. Sign us up! We read this with our Book Clubbers age 7-10 and we learnt so many cool cephalopod characteristics and details, we are all set to don our wetsuits and become marine biologists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for sending us this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

The Incredible Octopus is incredible! Great illustrations and information. I'd recommend it for any elementary or even middle school library to learn more about sea life or octopuses. If you have a sea lover this would be a great gift, particularly something to go with it especially aquarium tickets. I also think this would be a great addition to a public library or a sea life display.

Between the undersea photography and the interesting facts this was a huge hit in our family! I read through this first and knew right away that my seven-year-old daughter was going to love it too, and she did. She was so excited to learn how these gorgeous live, what they eat, and which were dangerous. She was very happy to hear that the venomous blue-ringed octopus doesn’t live anywhere near us!

This one comes out on April 16 and I highly recommend it for any person who loved Octopuses!

Thank you Storey Publishing for the arc via Netgalley!

I read this book while having lunch at school. And also in between classes. This is such a great read, not only for kids, but also for adults (read: me) if you are interested in all things ocean related. The illustrations are amazing; colourful and very informative. The way the book informs and educates is fun and not at all typical.

"The Incredible Octopus: Meet the 8 Armed Wonder of the Sea" by Erin Spencer is a children's book that is great for any age! This is an information packed book about a fascinating subject! I loved it! Great real pictures, too!

Here is a bit of what I recall from this book about octopuses:
✅️ Blue blood
✅️ 8 arms (not tentacles as these have suckers all along)
✅️ 9 brains
✅️ 3 hearts
✅️ Mantle is the bulbous middle which holds all organs
✅️ most use a siphon to move
✅️ Cephalopods
✅️ Males die after mating
✅️ Females die as eggs hatch
✅️ Biggest brain to body ratio of all invertebretes.
✅️ Very intelligent, can play
✅️ Can change shape, color, texture, and can hide in small spaces
✅️ All have venom, but only the Blue Ringed Octopus is toxic to humans

Book sections include
All About Octopuses, The Octopus Life, Meet the Octopuses (most venomous, largest, smallest, coldest, etc.)
and People and Octopuses (research and science).

I highly recommend this book for school libraries and anyone interested in octopuses!

Thank you to Netgalley, Storey Publishing, and author Erin Spencer for providing this ARC e-book so I could give you my honest review.

I never thought much about octopuses before but this book shows how complex and fascinating they can be!

The Incredible Octopus by Erin Spencer

Definitely a must-read book for young readers (even suitable for adults too!)

A mixture of photos and beautiful illustration, it shows about details of octopus in a wide perspective. Basically if you have no idea of what octopus is, this is your book to start with.

This is a highly informative book, yet from an attractive and easy angle for young readers to understand. The book is full of surprises, well-researched and fun to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy!

Pub date: Apr 16, 2024